Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-02-23

most obligingly.
"Unless you can command yourself
you had better return there at once,
she continued.
Wild Becky did not need much urg-
ing on that score. As quickly rs pos
siblc she sprang from her scat, and,
vaulting through the open window,
swung herself down to the ground as
neatly as a boy could have done it,
for she was in great wrath. So off she
trotted, never looking behind her until
she brought up at the Kitchen door.
Through the opening she could see her
grandfather bending over the big brick
oven.
"Sakes alive! School amt out yet,
be it?" he asked, lifting himself up to
get good view ofthe clock.
Becky flung herself down on the
steps and poured forth her injuries,
winding up with declaration OF inde-
pendcnce.
"1'll never go again, never. You will
not ask it of me, will you, GRANDPA
therp"
mot IL you're set agin' ID, said the
old man, with a sigh, as he passed into
the buttery and brought out heaping
dish of pancakes.
IL thought as how you'd come HON G
hungry, and so / made u lot OF EN-.
Becky had weakness for pancakes,
and was quite touched with the atten-
ton. She moved a chair nearer them
and tried to eat, but somehow they
seemed to stick in her throat. The idea
that her grandfather was sorely disap-
pointed made them hard to swallow.
"What makes you care so much
about my being a ladyP' she said, at
length, laying down her knife and fork,
and looking fixedly at him.
The farmer wiped his glasses care
fully.
81 dun know" he answered;
"p'r'aps it's cause your mother would
have liked il; she used to take to
'learnin' and to gentle ways, and grand
folks, naturally as horses take to hay
| wanted you to be like her; but laws
me! faint in natur's you could be that
kind any more than hen could be a
gosling. II don't matter"
"Yes it does, grandfather" and
Becky, jumping up, wound her arms
around his neck, and shed tear or
two on the back of his old waistcoat.
ut isn't that I'm so against the
learning" she continued; Its the
folks | can't stand"
"Well. some of ems rather tryin',"
answered the farmer, "but there's one
powerful queer thing in human natur'.
If you feel ag'in man, do favor for
him, an you're sure to like him better.
There's Squire Adams used to hate
him like fury; but since I've been in
the habit of lending him my yoke of
oxen, I've got the better on it.
"Well, grandpa, I'll go to school
just one day longer to lend 'em to his
daughter. Such fixed up city girls
haven't the slightest idea of how to
have good time. I might bring them
down here and show them how it is
DONE"
So, to the surprise of every body, the
following day Wild Becky appeared at
school. The scholars MI laughed AZ
she came tearing in, and making II
queer little bob, which did duty us II
courtesy, begged to be forgiven fot
yesterdays misdoings.
Perhaps Miss Peters knew by instinct
what penance this was to the child,
or itmay b, that. in spite of her prim
little way, she had a real sympathy for
Becky, and disapproved of the often
sive manner of her assistant. At all
events, the matter was lightly treated,
and the "wild girl was soon cStab-
lished in her seat.
AT recess the girls paired off two by
two, but no one spoke to her.
dear, dear thought the child;
nobody isn't nobody here unless they
are couple, and | amt
When the afternoon session broke up
that day n haycart, with two big work
horses, stood drawn up before the
fashionable establishment. The bottom
of the cart was strewen thckly with
fragrant hay, while old Farmer Miller,
in his shirt-sleevcs, held the reins.
Cynthia Adams was one of the last to
leave the school-room. Who can de-
scribe her astoniShment when, upon
gaining the yard, she bcheld Wild
Becky standing upon horseback and
actually inviting those city girls to
"hitch on" Most of the scholars
looked as Mortified as Cynthia expected,
but Mile King and four or five other
jolly souls tumbled in for the fun of it.
Farmer Miller shouted to Miss Peters
that he'd bring 'em home safe and
sound afore bedtime, and, cracking his
whip, they were soon rafting down
the hill, the girls getting such shake
up as they had never had before; but
they held on to the poles like monkeys,
filling the way with their merry shouts
and laughter, and by the time they had
reached the long winding road through
the pine woods they were thoroughly
riding.
Such a queer, homely house as it was
before which they stopped! Becky
didn't try to hide any part of it, but
made them welcome to the whole, and
to the great barn, too, with its number
less hiding-places, initiating them at
once into the most approved way of
sliding down hay-mows and riding on
the barn doors. She took them across
the meadows to the stream, with the
little grove beside it, and there they
fished for trout; not that they caught
enough to boast of, for only the most
venturcsome of fishes would bite in
that uproar of voices. When they got
tired of that sport they chased the colts
in the orchard and hunted out the
squirrels, with whom Becky carried on
such droll make-belicve conversation
that the girls, as they said, almost
died of laughing" The sun was get
ting low and the grass was all purple
with shadows when she brought out a
table and said that they would have
their supper under the shade of great
butternut tree.
This is the time they'll laugh"
thought Becky; "but let 'em. couldn't
get up genteel tea to save my life,
and | shan't try"
And sure enough the girls did
laugh. To see such great platters of
smoking hot sweet corn, such huge
pitchers Of creamy milk, such stacks
Of freshly picked berries, was enough
to make any hungry girl laugh, and in
a way very pleasant to hear. Then
followed shakcdown on the smooth
floor of the barn, accomplished by the